


Something More

by songsofthespring



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Implied Reincarnation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 15:44:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4672235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songsofthespring/pseuds/songsofthespring
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Killua's looking for an escape from his family in a foreign country at a shitty college party. What he gets is something else entirely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something More

Killua doesn't like parties. This one is taking place in a dorm room full to the brim with people chattering loudly over the music and thumping bass. There's almost no space to move, meaning Killua has to awkwardly shove himself through crowds of people or else turn to the side and contort his body to slip past. The air smells like an unsavory combination of sweat, alcohol, weed, perfume, and Axe.

To make matters worse, he barely speaks the language all these party guests know and his only acquaintance and decent translator, some kid named Matthew, has disappeared. He can put on a fake outgoing persona any day to make do at these kinds of things, but it doesn't do him any good if he can hardly speak any English.

He very strongly considers slipping out unnoticed, going back to his own shitty dorm room, and entertaining himself with a movie or show. That idea, however tempting, is quickly vetoed. If he leaves, he'll have to admit to himself that studying abroad in America was a stupid idea and that his family had been right. If he can't do this, then there's no way he'll ever be able to get away from his family long term.

At least there's one way to make this situation easier to deal with: alcohol. It tastes disgusting and it bothers Killua that the stuff dulls his senses, but if he's going to get through this, maybe alcohol is exactly what he needs.

They've got the stockpile of miscellaneous drinks set up on the kitchen counter so Killua fights his way there and surveys his options. Nothing looks particularly intriguing, but he's not here to drink something that tastes good. He ends up snatching a beer despite the fact that he knows he hates the bitter taste, opens the can, and is bracing himself to take a sip when someone suddenly collides with him, sending beer sloshing out of the can and onto the other guy's green tank top.

"Shit," Killua says, under his breath. Of course this would happen. "Ah, s-sorry," he says in English, ducking his head. "You..didn't see you."

Killua looks up to the boy whose shirt is now saturated with beer. He is currently giggling like Killua has told a particularly hilarious joke. He has a very unique face: spiked black hair, warm amber eyes, and the kind of smile that makes Killua's mouth twitch with the urge to smile with him. "Don't worry! You didn't want to drink that stuff anyway. I could tell because you were glaring at the can really hard. Here, let me mix you something. Do you like sweet things?"

It takes Killua a minute to decifer the other guy's words since they're said quickly in a loud room in a language Killua has very little knowledge of, but he thinks he gets the gist. "Yeah."

"Great! I'll make something for you that tastes really good, okay?" The other boy snatches the beer can and pours it down the sink without a second of hesitation. He bustles over to the drinks, rooting around through them and then in the fridge. "I'm Gon, by the way. Gon Frecess," He says, head peeking out from behind the fridge door to meet Killua's eyes. "You don't have any allergies to fruit or anything, right?"

Gon. The name rings in Killua's head like a bell, and he swears he tastes something sweet, like chocolate, on his tongue. He's never heard the name before, but there's something tight in his chest, squeezing, that says that something about this name is important. "Killua," he replies. He's pretty sure Gon said something else, but his reaction to hearing Gon's name was strong enough that he missed it. "Yeah?"

"Yeah you have an allergy?"

"Er. No." Killua says, embarrassed.

"Oh good!" Gon nods, satisfied, and continues doing whatever the hell he's doing in the fridge. "Where are you from, Killua?"

"Ah," says Killua awkwardly, not expecting the question, "Japan."

"Japan, really? You're a foreign exchange student? I just meant what dorm you live in, but wow! No wonder I haven't seen you around before!" Gon closes the fridge door behind him, having removed from it what seemed to be a plastic container of juice.

"I'm Japanese also!" Gon says cheerily, and Killua freezes, eyes widening as the realization hits him that Gon had said that in Japanese.

"You speak Japanese?" Killua says, hardly daring to believe his luck.

"Uh huh!" Gon replies, "Just because I spent most of my life here doesn't mean I haven't kept up my Japanese. Mito-san would never let me hear the end of it."

"Mito-san?"

"Aunt Mito!" Gon says, selecting a new red cup and walking back over to the fridge to fill the cup with ice. "She raised me, so she nags like a mom would, I guess."

Killua shudders. "Nagging moms are the worst. I'm glad my crazy mom can't get to me here."

Gon laughs, and Killua can't fight the smile that spreads across his face at the sound of his laughter.

After Gon fills the cup with ice, he pours some unidentified alcohol (vodka?) in the cup and then tops it with the juice, mixing the concoction quickly with a spoon. "Done! Ah, I hope you like it Killua. It's not the best, since I wanted to hurry and they don't have a juicer and the shaker looks kind of dirty...." Despite his apologies, Gon hands the drink over firmly enough.

It still smells like alcohol. Yet, when Killua takes a curtesy sip the obnoxious flavor is mostly obscured by the sweet pull of the juice. "It's good."

"Yay!" Gon cheers, grinning that wide grin.

"How'd you know how to do that?"

"What, mix drinks? I used to make stuff like this for Mito-san all the time!" Gon says, laughing.

"She let you do this at home?"

"Sure!" Gon says, waving his hand. "She didn't want me to get in trouble in college so she let me try all the drinks I wanted before I went. That way I learned what I liked, how to make it, and how many I should have before I need to stop."

"That's different." Killua says, blindsided. "My mom never let us near anything alcoholic. Said it dulls the senses and makes you stupid."

Gon laughs. "I'm pretty sure that's the point. Most people drink to loosen up and have fun, after all."

Killua frowns. "Huh. How come you're here? I mean, you don't seem like the crazy partying type."

"Ah," Gon scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "A friend of mine really wanted me to come. See, the dj at this party Melody wouldn't come without my friend Kurapika who doesn't really like parties. He's kind of a bookworm. So I had to convince him to come and I promised I'd come so that he'd show up. And I don't mind really, this is fun! But I would rather be outside. It's really clear out tonight and the stars are pretty bright just outside of campus where there's no artificial light."

Killua takes a moment to parse that. "So you're here because you have too many friends?"

Gon laughs. "Something like that. Hey, come on, we should go outside. It's getting kind of crowded in here, don't you think?"

"Yeah," says Killua, trying to hide his relief at this suggestion. All he wants suddenly is to get to know Gon, to talk to him. The fact that he speaks Japanese is a big plus, but even discarding that, Gon is the first genuinely nice person he's met here....or maybe Gon is just an entirely different breed all together. There's this pull to him, in his bright eyes or smile or the way he walks that makes Killua want to bask in his presence. It's somewhat unnerving, but Killua can't seem to bring himself to mind it.

Killua follows Gon outside, sighing softly in relief as they leave the claustrophobic party and the fresh air hits him. Gon leads him behind the dorms to a trail that runs out of campus and into a park. Gon walks this path as if he knows it well and delights in it while Killua desperately swats at bugs with one hand, the other still occupied with his drink.

"I want to show you something, but it's a little bit of a hike," Gon says, sheepishly and ridiculously belatedly. "Do you still wanna come?"

"Sure," Killua says, and shrugs nonchalantly, shoving his free hand in the pocket of his shorts to keep from awkwardly swatting at bugs when Gon's looking back at him.

"Great!" Gon says, delighted. "I know you're going to like it!

The two of them walk for about ten minutes in silence. It should be awkward, but it's not. The silence between them feels comfortable, natural, and Killua doesn't feel any urge to attempt small talk to break it. Instead, Killua sips at his drink, watches Gon walking ahead of him and has to suppress a grin when he notices Gon swings his arms a little when he walks like a child. It's ridiculously endearing. He's probably one of those types to swing someone's hand in big arches when they're holding hands.

Shit. He hadn't realized how far Gon's magnetic appeal has pulled him until now. He has to keep it together. He's never been so interested in someone so quickly and it alarms him, especially because he can't quite pinpoint what it is about Gon that's drawing him in. He takes a large sip of his drink and resolves to keep his head down and not watch Gon.

Just then, of course, because it's just Killua's luck, they arrive, or at least Gon stops walking. They've come to the edge of a lake; Killua can hear the water lapping clearly even if it's hard to see the water now that the sun's completely gone down. His only source of light is the tree across the lake, which is lit up with little lights. Killua supposes it's pretty enough.

Gon turns to face him. "Okay Killua, sit down!" Killua, nonplussed, nevertheless obeys, sitting near the water's edge where Gon indicates.

"Be right back!" Gon calls, already rushing away, but Killua barely has time to think about what the hell he's gotten himself into when Gon reappears.

"Here," he hands Killua what looks to be....a branch.

"I don't really think--" Killua starts to say, giving the branch a dubious look. Just then, the lights decorating the tree dissipate and head in Killua's direction. Lightening bugs, Killua realizes, and they're landing on the branch he's holding. Gon's eyes are wide, seemingly glowing in the darkness, and Killua doesn't want to ruin this for him, but he really doesn't like bugs and there's so many.

"Eugh!" Killua tosses the branch as soon as one of the little bug's creepy crawly legs brushes his skin.

Gon bursts into peals of laughter, and actually falls over laughing, clutching his stomach. "Y-your face!" Gon gasps between giggles.

"Shut up!" Killua cries, face aflame. "Bugs are gross!"

Gon frowns. "Hmm. I've never had any bad reactions taking people here before. They usually really like it! I didn't expect you to be such a scaredy cat Killua!"

"I'm not scared, idiot! And who even says scaredy cat, are you five?" Killua shoots back.

He tries to restrain the words he really wants to say and succeeds only in making them quieter. "What, do you take everyone here?" Killua asks, trying for sarcasm and not the disappointment he really feels. He had wanted, for some reason, to think he was special, and that Gon hasn't taken anyone else out here.

Gon grins, cheekiness evident in the way his mouth dimples and his eyes gleam. "Only the people I really want to impress."

Killua stares. Is he...flirting with him? Oh my god, he has to be, right? Killua isn't imagining this? Regardless, Gon's nonchalant honesty is not helping him feel less flushed in the slightest.

Gon's face smoothes out into a face of contemplation."Hey, Killua?" Gon says, looking over at him. "Have we met before?"

"Huh? Don't be stupid." Killua replies, meeting Gon's eyes. "We both know we haven't. I wouldn't forget meeting you."

Gon beams and Killua flushes in embarrassment, realizing he's paid Gon an unwitting compliment.

"I'd never forget you either Killua." Gon replies, as easy as breathing, and Killua, who has gone to take a sip of his drink, nearly chokes. "But...I guess what I mean is...I feel like I've known you for a long time, even though we just met. You know?"

"Yeah, I know."

There is silence between them, nothing to hear but the crickets and the whistling of the breeze. Then, "Killua?" Gon says, shifting his whole body to face Killua. "I really want to kiss you. Would you let me kiss you?"

"W-what?" Killua stutters, feeling his face heat up and knowing that his entire face including his ears are now beet red. He curses his pale complexion for giving him away like this. Nevertheless, he turns towards Gon as well, drawn in like Gon is a magnet of the opposite charge.

"Can I kiss you? It's okay if you don't want to. I won't mind. I just suddenly felt like I should."

"Huh? You're making no sense!" Killua snaps, and then immediately feels like a complete idiot. What kind of response is that?

Gon laughs softly but the intensity hasn't gotten out of his eyes. "I guess you're right. But you didn't answer my question."

"Yeah sure, I guess that wouldn't be terrible," Killua mumbles, desperately trying not to appear too eager or too embarrassed.

Gon's face lights up in his widest grin yet. "Yes! Okay, as long as I have your permission."

Gon reaches over and snatches Killua's mostly empty cup, setting it carefully to the side, before cupping Killua's cheeks and slowly leaning in, meeting Killua's eyes for as long as he can before he closes his eyes and presses his lips to Killua's.

Killua doesn't have a ton of experience for his age, but he has enough, more than enough, to know that Gon is a damn good kisser. It's from experience too; no person is born with this kind of kissing prowess, not even Gon Freecs. His lips are warm like the rest of him and they seem to worship every inch of Killua's lips.

Killua is breathless in the first moments of the kiss, so when Gon pulls away, because Killua is sure as hell not going to, and says, "Not so terrible, right?" with this teasing grin on his face, Killua can't quite help smashing their faces together.

Unfortunately, Killua is not a very experienced kisser, so that move ends with both of them groaning and clutching their noses. Gon lets a little giggle slip out and Killua snaps, "It's not funny," but it's too late. Gon is laughing so hard that Killua's half certain his guts are going to burst out of his stomach, and by the way he's clutching his stomach and howling, Killua might be right.

"Killua, you're the greatest," declares an out-of-breath for all the wrong reasons Gon, after much laughter and some tears. "Was that your first kiss?"

Killua flushes. "No!" It might as well have been, though, because no other kiss compares to this, aching nose and all. Gon is something else.

"Don't worry, you just need a little practice, is all." Gon tells him, smiling serenely. "Looking for a practice partner?"

Killua grins. "You bet your ass I am."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so happy to have finally written for this fandom! Please let me know what you think!


End file.
